Midrash Nyc

The COVID lockdown of 2020 changed the paradigm for all of us. The pandemic set many of us on a journey of discovery new routines, anxieties, and fears that we had never experienced before. For Forefront co-pastor, Makenzie Gomez, it was also the start of a journey living with disabilities and chronic illness. Makenzie's journey didn't just see her realizing that there were new physical limitations in her daily routine, but also realizing there was internalized ableism in the world, the Church, and even within herself that had to be interrogated. In this first "Forefront Conversations" of 2024, Pastor Makenzie Gomez expands upon the sermon she gave in November 2023 to dive deeper into internalized ableism, how her experiences have shaped her relationship with faith and prayer, and why it's not cool to tell people living with disabilities that they're "an inspiration." Listen to Makenzie's sermon, "We Will Not Be Silent: Ableism." ABOUT MAKENZIE GOMEZ Pastor Makenzie (Mak) Gomez is one of the Co-Pastors at For